The Thunderclan leader and him were already standing at the top of the ravine by the time Cloudpaw caught up to them. She pauses to sniff the air, and he's relieved to notice how more relaxed she is to be out of camp as she pads her way through the undergrowth towards the Riverclan border.
Falling behind her with Cloudpaw by his side he notices that heading to the Riverclan border isn't the fastest route to Fourtrees and Windclan territory. But he didn't question it because of how much more alive his clan leader seemed to be just by roaming the forest.
It put him at ease to know the forest was cheering his leader up.
The three cats arrived at the Riverclan border and Sunningrocks, their trek remaining mostly quiet except for the sounds that came from the forest around them. They follow the scent markers upriver, padding close to the rushing water. It reminds him of all the times he spent with Silverstream and the time in newleaf when he and Fireheart helped Riverclan when the river water was poisoned, stripping them of fresh water and prey.
A warm breeze carries the faint scent of heather of the moor down to them. Above his head the leaves glowed green and flashed at the edges where the harsh sunlight pierced through. Even in the shade he felt hot, and looking at the water reflecting the sunlight on its surface he wished he could dip his pelt in too cool off.
Finally the river bent away, heading deeper into Riverclan territory. But instead of going deeper into their own territory, Bluestar kept leading them along the path of the scent markers. Graystripe couldn't help but glance every one in a while to see if there were any Riverclan warriors patrolling the border. Fear pricked his fur, they weren't on good terms, since Thunderclan had kept his kits. The only reason they hadn't battled was because Crookedstar had seemed to accept the decision. Not for the first time he wondered why Silverstream's father had accepted the decision for the kits to stay in Thunderclan? Featherkit looked so much like her mother and Stormkit acted so much like her, he would be torn if he ever lost the kits. They both had traits from him and Silverstream.
Though he suspected that the other cats in the clan, especially Mistyfoot, Silverstream's friend, wanted the kits in Riverclan. Since if Silverstream hadn't kitted early when they met they would have originally been raised as Riverclan's kits and warriors. His heart ached at the thought of never being able to see his kits, a perfect mixture of him and Silverstream.
Suddenly Bluestar raises her muzzle and sniffs the air, making him and Cloudpaw tense. She drops into a crouch and trusting her instincts follows suit. Cloudpaw also crouches down, seeming to sense the tension in the air.
"Riverclan warriors," Bluestar whispers, warning them.
Graystripe smells them now as the smell grows stronger. His hackles raise as their scent gets closer to where they are on the Thunderclan border. Hearing the swishing of fur coming from the undergrowth close to where they are hiding, he raises his head ever so slightly above the bushes blocking their view.
Bluestar beside him also raises her head, and takes silent shallow breaths as her blue eyes scan the area. His amber eyes also scan the area for enemy warriors. Pawsteps crunching the undergrowth can be heard as they come closer to where they are on the Thunderclan border.
Seeing a glimpse of tawny mottled fur, he ducks down. Sniffing the air, the scent coming from the cat confirms it's Leopardfur of Riverclan. He stays down, trembling, the last experience with the Riverclan Deputy wasn't good. He had accidentally killed one of their warriors and they had landed in the gorge in Thunderclan's territory. Not to mention he was the father of Silverstream's kits and Leopardfur had seemed pretty insistent on getting the kits for Riverclan.
Glancing at Bluestar, her head was still peering over the bush, giving them shelter from Leopardfur's gaze.
The increased noise of rustling ferns alerted him that Leopardfur was coming closer to where they were hiding. What would happen if the Deputy of Riverclan caught all three of them so close to Riverclan territory? He shuddered at the thought.
He felt his breath quicken along with Cloudpaw's as the rustling of the ferns continued. Suddenly they got louder and both him and Cloudpaw froze. Being absolutely silent. Turning his head to Bluestar he saw her head is still looking out of the shelter of the bush. When he was about to signal to her to get down, she dropped her head and whispered, slightly amused, "Come on."
"And keep your head down throughout the rest of our walk through this section of our territory," her head turns to face Cloudpaw who is beside him. "That includes you."
Cloudpaw nods, tension still in his muscles. Sighing in relief, Graystripe along with his apprentice follow Bluestar away from the scent markers and into the safety of Thunderclan's forest.
"That Leopardfur moves so loudly, I bet all of Shadowclan could hear her coming." remarks Bluestar once they are safely away from the border.
Graystripe purrs, "She was pretty loud." Though his whisker quiver with surprise. Bluestar should know how much Riverclan will fight to defend their territory considering they have been fighting over Sunningrocks as long as he can remember. Though Silverstream and Mistyfoot didn't mind his presence when they met on Riverclan territory with Fireheart.
"Yeah it sounded like a badger stomping around!" comments Cloudpaw.
Bluestar's whiskers quiver with amusement, and he's glad she's able to still have a sense of humor, despite the scar Tigerclaw left on her mind.
"She is a good warrior though, but she is too easily distracted. She was more interested in the rabbit upwind than in scenting enemy warriors."
Graystripe feels his confidence in this mission growing. Perhaps visiting the Moonstone will help close the mental wounds Tigerclaw left on her. He can sense her own confidence returning. Her blue eyes sparkle with life and energy, and the haunted look has faded away.
"This reminds me of the days when I would take Fireheart out training," She mews as they traverse through the sun-dappled woods.
"He was a fast learner." She murmurs.
"So is Cloudpaw, his kin." Graystripe responds.
Cloudpaw puffs out his chest, "Yeah! And Graystripe says I am just as good of a hunter as Sandstorm."
"Really?"
He nods, "Yeah. He caught a lot of prey yesterday while out for the elders. And all the days before that. His fighting skills aren't too bad either."
"I knew it was a good thing to expect Fireheart's kin into the clan."
Cloudpaw's ear draws back in embarrassment but pride shines in his blue eyes.
"And the clans have much to thank your mentor for," Bluestar continues, "You saved Frostfur's kits from Shadowclan and drove off Brokentail, brought Windclan back home, helped Riverclan during the newleaf floods and saved Thunderclan from Tigerclaw."
Graystripe feels overwhelmed by her praise as she goes on, "No cat cat from Thunderclan, besides Fireheart, has your sense of fairness or loyalty or courage…."
His fur pricks with unease, "But all Thunderclan cats respect the warrior code…..Like me they would sacrifice their lives to protect the clan and all its members."
"But you were the only one who knew about Tigerclaw, besides Fireheart who tried to warn me." She sighs, "It was too late though as I would not listen, and he died at the paws of the rogues Tigerclaw conspired with. And you saved me from dying at Tigerclaw's claws. You earned your deputy position, as I did."
"But I….."
"Yes you took a mate outside the clan, but you stayed loyal to us. You have been taking care of the clan in my absence, being a good deputy Thunderclan can rely on. And from the sounds of it, you are being a good mentor to Cloudpaw."
Cloudpaw answers, "He has been. Teaching me all the battle moves so if that mangy tabby comes back I'll give him a good scratch!"
He purrs, "Yes. I have had all the apprentices train for battle after hunting in the morning. With so few warriors its best the apprentices be prepared so they can defend themselves."
"A wise notion." She comments. "It was a wise decision to appoint you as deputy."
"I don't deserve it, but I am doing my best."
Suddenly Bluestar whirls around and stops them both in their tracks. "Don't you dare say you don't deserve the position! I did what you did and worse! And I became deputy despite that! I lost my kits…." Her eyes show a pained emotion in her eyes.
"What did you mean….." Cloudpaw asks, not as shocked as Graystripe at the implications. She did what he did? He thinks to himself.
"It's nothing. Just don't say that. You deserve the position." Bluestar tells him and Cloudpaw, before briskly walking onwards. Her tail fluffed up. The rest of their trek is silent as they pad through the forest.
Shock still swirls around him. What did she mean, she did what he did? Did she take a mate in Riverclan? And somehow she lost her kits and did something worse than him. Confusion overtakes him as well as the shock, but he keeps moving forward.
Reaching Fourtrees the sun broke through the leaves at the tops of the trees Graystripe and Cloudpaw follow Bluestar down the slope and into the valley. The Four Great oaks tower overtop of them as they continue onward.
"This is Fourtrees? They're bigger than I imagined." Cloudpaw mews in awe.
"Yes. They guard the clearing where we meet the other clans on the full moon for a night of truce."
"Why do you have a truce?"
"Because, despite our differences, we each share things in common. And our ancestors were delivered a sacred prophecy of uniting or death because of a great and fearsome battle that happened here. Four cats arose to lead the cats to unite the cats together, Wind, River, Shadow and Thunder. Because their suggestions for the cats to live were all different they separated into different camps that became known as the clans. They agreed to meet under these sacred old oaks for the rest of time. The Warrior Code came later in the Clans life and ever since its last rule was introduced it has remained integral to our way of life."
"Wow," Cloudpaw utters, as he looks around the clearing. "This held a battle?"
"The first gruesome and bloody one in the Clans history. Starclan had to intervene before the fighting would continue and kill off every cat in the clearing."
"Then why do we have borders?"
"I guess some cats felt threatened by the possibility of other clans taking away their prey and thought that because they were on the land they owned the prey and no cat else could have it. And the Clans have differed some years of separation to fit the lands they inhabit so they thought that each clan had their own niche and should stick to it. Examples: Windclan chase rabbits on the moor because of their thin bodies made for running long distances, Riverclan catch fish because they live near a river where they can catch them, Shadowclan eat anything that stalks in the undergrowth and are known for being stealthy, and Thunderclan pounce on prey due to their not being enough space to give chase."
"So we have boundaries because we are different?"
"Pretty much."
"Weird. Now I know why you fell in love with Silverstream."
Graystripe awkwardly chuckles, that was not the reason. She had saved him from drawing in leaf-bare and he fell in love with her personality. She had a sense of humor like him, and they had fun together. She didn't take no for an answer when she felt something was right. She was good. But she died bearing his kits. Sometimes that still brings him guilt whenever he thinks of it. At least he has reminders of her in his kits.
Bluestar comments, "Yes…."
His ears prick towards her. Her voice had sounded somber and not at all what he was expecting. He was expecting scorn and not somberness from Bluestar. But then his mind thinks back to what she said moments ago, 'Don't you dare say you don't deserve the position! I did what you did and worse! And I became deputy despite that! I lost my kits…'
It made him shiver.
But he pushes out the thought as they climb uphill, focusing on getting all of them to the Moonstone. It becomes steeper, rockier and less grassy. Bluestar struggles to keep pace with them. She struggled each time they had to leap from a rock and both him and Cloudpaw had to slow down so they wouldn't pass her.
Climbing over the top with Cloudpaw, he notices Bluestar sit down, wheezing from the climb whilst he and Cloudpaw were fine. Alarm races through him, he didn't think Bluestar was that old. She had made the journey just fine when Fireheart and him were apprentices.
Padding up to her, "Bluestar are you okay?"
Wheezing she manages to mew, "Not…so…young anymore."
While their leader catches her breath, he and Cloudpaw remain on watch, wary of any Windclan patrol. Tallstar might let them have passage, but the rest of his warriors might not. And the Windclan leader was old. Older than Bluestar and the other clan leader from what he heard about the tom. He was friendly to him and Fireheart along with their other warriors, but with having kept Brokentail captive, they attacked, probably serving what little friendship he and Fireheart accomplished by bringing them home.
So he wasn't sure how the Windclan leader felt or his warriors.
He only knew Thunderclan's relationship with Windclan is complicated at the moment. And that might not work in their favor.
"We must be careful not to be spotted." He mews aloud.
"What?" Bluestar asks, her voice a little higher than his.
"We must be careful not to be spotted," he mews again, raising his voice so the breeze doesn't drown out his words despite not wanting to in case it alerts a Windclan patrol.
Bluestar gets up and lashes her tail. "But we are going to the Moonstone! We have safe passage! Starclan grants it."
Realizing it would be fruitless to argue he leads them both into Windclan territory, hoping for the best outcome.